This chapter made me cry a little on the inside. So many things to choose from, but only a couple to go with. I think I like it, though. It probably will raise questions, so do ask them when you're reviewing.

I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, I'd have Slade as a footstool. Oh, and we will hear a bit about Slade later...

Shards Of Time:

Did It Change You?

Normally, Raven would not have minded the darkness, not being one to hide from the shadows, but considering the circumstances, she thought it wise to have some light. She waved a hand and her candles lit, illuminating the room. Of all the places she had been, it looked the most untouched.

"Good—" she started, but then saw her bookcases. Instead of books, orbs populated the shelves, looking more like soap bubbles than glass. In spite of her better senses, the Empath walked towards them, scooping one up with both hands. It wobbled and pulsed, revealing a moving image inside. Raven almost dropped it when she realized what it was – a memory of when she became the portal. Her hands trembled with the orb so she could barely put it down.

"These – these must be all of his memories of me," she whispered, gazing at the orbs. It seemed like they doubled every time she looked, numbering in the thousands. The majority of them were shimmery-clear, but she noticed there were a minority which glowed purple.

"Maybe the way out is through one of those?" she asked herself, reaching for the closest one. It didn't shake as much as sigh, and the image was one she had not seen before.

Robin stood in the doorway of her room, as if waiting to be invited in.

"Raven," he said, and the girl looked around in spite of herself, but no one was there besides the Boy Wonder. He took a few steps forward, and the door slid closed behind him.

"They had a memorial service for you today. I couldn't go."

He leaned his head against a bookcase as Raven watched, transfixed.

"Everyone was there, Raven. All the Titans, the policemen, civilians – I think even a villain or two snuck it. I heard it was beautiful."

His fists clenched, and he brought one up parallel to his forehead.

"But I couldn't go. I know you're not dead, and I couldn't play along with that farce. They've all given up on you, but I won't. I'll never give up."

With his other hand, he reached for an object very familiar to Raven – her mirror. Even though she knew she couldn't stop a memory, she tried to take the mirror from him, but he was sucked into the mirror without so much as a whisper.

"Oh Robin," Raven moaned, the orb slipping through now-limp fingers and floating safely to the ground, "You shouldn't. It wasn't safe. Did it change you?"

Her head turned back towards the shelves, gazing at the orbs after the one she had just dropped. Hand slightly shaking, she grasped another orb and stared deeply inside it. The images were quick to come.

It was almost completely black, but the figure sleeping fitfully on the bed was one Raven would recognize anywhere. Robin, in his room – Raven cursed that she hadn't picked the orb next in order, but watched closely anyway. His body was tense, his muscles twitching below the surface. The Empath heard him murmuring and leaned closer, letting out a yelp when she found the scene changing. The colors were all reds and blacks, and Robin stood alone, facing several Ravens.

"It must be a dream," breathed the real Raven, watching her copies call to Robin.

"Save us!"

"Robin, help!"

"Don't leave us here!"

With each of their calls, Robin tried to get to them, but with each step he took, they were pulled back two.

"Raven! No!" he screamed, the pain in his voice making it almost understandable. The Raven copies vanished, and everything went dark and silent.

Everything except a double pair of red eyes, and a long, mocking laugh.

Instead of dropping this orb, Raven squeezed it until her knuckles were white. It held, but her emotions were dangerously close to breaking.

"It's my fault," she rasped, her throat too tight to speak normally, "My mirror. It must have done something to your mind – No one should see what lies inside of it."

It glinted at her in the corner of her eye, and she twirled around, glaring at it with all of her strength. Her eyes turned red and doubled as her form grew to loom over it.

"You ruined everything," she raged, in a voice that was no longer her own, "You did this to him. You –"

"You must think very little of my mental capacity," interrupted Nightwing, the door sliding closed behind him, "If you think a mirror could do all that to me."

In her state, Raven hadn't heard someone working at the door or it opening, but Nightwing's voice shocked her out of her state of rage. The red vanished from her eyes and she shrunk, looking much smaller and vulnerable than before. She took several steps backwards, wanting to hide from Nightwing's amused gaze.

"Haven't you had enough of running?" he asked, his tone soft and coaxing, "I know what you've seen, what you've been through. Has there been anything to make you think that I would hurt you?"

Perhaps it was because she was drained, but what Nightwing was saying was starting to make sense. Raven shook her head, trying to clear it of such traitorous thoughts.

"I can't trust you, not anymore," she said, barely above a whisper, "You're all wrong."

Nightwing nodded.

"You need a sign?" he asked, raising his palm, "Here. I'll let you see what you came here for."

From his palm came a clear blue light, which twisted and churned itself into an impressive architectural layout, one of his lair. Raven stared at it, willing it to be tattooed into her memory.

"You see, Raven, I don't wish to harm you. All I want is for you to come with me, where you belong."

The blue light vanished, and Nightwing stretched his hand out for hers. Instantly, the memory of a green-gloved hand reaching for her shot across her mind, and she fell back, as if burned.

"No," she gasped, holding onto the table behind her for strength. The mirror shone up at her from the table, almost winking.

"That's it," Raven said, realization washing over her, "The mirror! That's my way back!"

The girl lunged for it, as Nightwing lunged for her.

"Raven!" she heard his desperate cry as the mirror flung her out of his mind, pushing her back into her body with a force that rammed her into the floor. She thought she heard someone else calling her name before she faded into unconsciousness.